Splenda saw better-than-expected results from using a Facebook page dedicated to its new product, Splenda Mist No Calorie Sweetener, to distribute product samples and gather both feedback and demographics and other information from consumers, according to information supplied to Marketing Daily by Facebook.

In May, Splenda made an exclusive offer to Facebook users: free samples of Splenda Mist -- a portable spray version designed to let users spritz the desired amount of sweetness on foods and in drinks -- to those who signed up as fans of the new product on its page.

"Become a fan" engagement ads were used to drive traffic to the page, where visitors were engaged via viral elements such as recipes and quizzes.

Facebook reports that all 16,000+ of the samples of Splenda Mist were distributed in just two weeks -- one-sixth of the planned program time. In the same two-week period, before the product was widely available in the marketplace, more than 3,100 Facebook users became fans of the new product. Measured purchase intent nearly doubled during the campaign, from 39% to 75%, and brand affiliation also increased.

In addition, more than 1,500 fans responded to a detailed quantitative survey that Splenda deployed to those who signed up as fans. Among other findings, Splenda learned that nine out of 10 people exposed to the product on Facebook had suggested it to a friend.

In an item on Splenda's innovative use of sampling on Facebook to create a "focus group," Matt Holliday of InsideFacebook.com, a site devoted to marketers' uses of the social media network, notes that "most of the prerequisite information that brands want is readily available in users' profile information, and adding information to participants' friend feeds gets the brand name in front of a much larger group of potential customers should the product go to market."

This news story is important. I recommend that everyone read it.